Internationally, Kane received gold medals as a member of Team Canada at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and 2009 World Junior Championships.

[10] He received his first WHL call-up for a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds on December 13, 2006, due to other Giants players international commitments in the World Junior Championships.

[14] Set to begin his rookie campaign with the Giants the following season, Kane experienced a minor setback, as he was forced to miss the start of training camp with a case of mononucleosis.

Upon returning with a gold medal, Kane was named player of the week for the second time in the season on January 12, 2009, after scoring six points in two games immediately following the World Juniors.

He recorded his first career NHL point in his debut on October 3, 2009, earning an assist on a goal by Rich Peverley against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

[27] His first goal was scored five days later, on October 8, beating Chris Mason with a snap shot in a 4–2 win over the St. Louis Blues.

[28] He suffered a bone fracture, late in his rookie season, blocking a shot during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 6, 2010.

The club's athletic director suggested that Kane "could not adapt to hockey in the KHL", but also said that both sides mutually agreed to end the contract.

[39] On April 5, 2014, Kane was a healthy scratch under new head coach Paul Maurice, in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Jets traded Kane on February 11, 2015, as well as Zach Bogosian and the rights to Jason Kasdorf, to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (Jack Roslovic).

[42] On October 14, 2016, Kane cracked three ribs in the season-opening game when he crashed into boards while fighting for the puck with Alexei Emelin of the Montreal Canadiens, which left him unable to play indefinitely.

[43] Amid declining performance and approaching the end of his contract, Sabres management benched him ahead of the 2018 trade deadline.

On April 26, 2018, Kane received a one-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare during Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals.

[52] Two games after returning from his suspension, Kane became the first Sharks player in franchise history to record a first period hat trick in a 5–2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

[53] Kane recorded another natural hat trick later that season when the Sharks visited the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2020, scoring three straight goals in just over 10 minutes during the second period in a 5–4 overtime loss.

[57] On November 28, 2021, following the completion of his suspension, the Sharks placed Kane on waivers and was re-assigned to AHL for the first time in his career, joining the San Jose Barracuda the following day.

[58] On January 8, 2022, it was announced that the Sharks had placed Kane on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, due to violation of AHL COVID-19 protocols.

The Oilers had begun the season strongly, but entered a prolonged slide that had seen them drop out of playoff position by the midpoint, and pressure had built on general manager Ken Holland to take action to improve the team's fortunes.

"[64] Kane made his Oilers debut on January 29, scoring the game's opening goal in a 7–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Kane was dynamic in the team's first round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings, notably recording his first ever playoff hat trick in Game 3.

According to court documents, the woman alleged that Kane "met her in a bar, invited her to what he said was a party and then attacked her, causing cuts and bleeding that required multiple surgeries.

According to a police report, Kane became involved in a fight with a bouncer at a bar called Bottoms Up, after allegedly grabbing an unnamed woman by the throat and attempting to force her into a car outside the nightclub.

A second police report alleged that, in a separate incident, Kane grabbed a woman by the arms inside the nightclub and attempted to force her outside.

Such markers are essentially lines of credit to allow casino guests to continue gambling, and those extended to Kane were disbursed in eight separate installments, ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.

Kane later published a statement offering his full cooperation and categorically denied his involvement in any hockey-related betting, suggesting that his wife's claims were motivated by distress related to their ongoing divorce process.

[87] In a later interview with ESPN's Linda Cohn, he admitted that he did have a gambling addiction that led to large personal debts, for which he had sought professional help.

On January 8, 2022, the Sharks placed Kane on unconditional waivers with intent to terminate the contract for violating the AHL protocol as well.

[103] As the youngest player on the team,[106] Kane contributed six points in six games, helping Canada to a fifth-straight gold medal with a 5–1 victory over Sweden in the final.

Following his rookie season in the NHL, Kane was named to the Canadian men's team for the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.

General manager Mark Messier made a specific effort to assemble a young team;[107] as a result, Kane was one of five teenagers on the roster.